


Choose Your Poison

by tofus



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Angst, Betrayal, Blood and Torture, Drama, Eventual Happy Ending, M/M, On the Run, Secrets, Slow Romance, alien!Kageyama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-24
Updated: 2015-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-22 20:11:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4848884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tofus/pseuds/tofus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>On his 16th birthday, Shouyou, the adopted son of Karasuno’s chief, is tasked with going above ground for the first time, searching for the elusive Red Seed that's fabled to restore the Earth. He doesn't expect to find people up there, people who would kill for a planet of their own.</p><p>Or harbor a fugitive who goes by Kageyama, for that matter.</p><p>--ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE--</p>
            </blockquote>





	Choose Your Poison

**Author's Note:**

> WTF I never thought I'd be writing a pseudo sci fi  
> I'm also crazy for starting another multichap fic while one is in progress ;_;
> 
> I love you all for giving this a try

Even as the last flickers of the lanterns expire, Hinata Shouyou scrambles through the winding tunnels, with only an oxygen mask, a walkie-talkie, and a goal in place. His pupils dilate in the darkness, years of natural selection providing for something close to night vision, and he dodges past the creeping stalactites, ears catching the _pita pat_ of boots kneading into dirt. The _zekk_ as he rounds a corner.

It's getting warmer now, and Hinata wrestles with the urge to rip off his full body suit. The ultraviolet rays would fry him to a crisp the second he does. So he settles for sweaty but alive.

There are skeletons lying all around him, some crushed between boulders and others sunk deeply into the savage ground, bleach white bones gleaming in the heat. Hinata quickens his pace, not interested in becoming one of them. There's a stench in the air now, all yellow and putrid and hateful, but the young boy grinds forward, careful to not sprint too quickly and lose his head. His walkie-talkie buzzes, the spikes of static muffled, smothered.

"Chhhhk- Shouyou?" He presses down on the button, letting his voice flow.

"Noya-san?"

"Great, great. You can -chhhhk- still hear me." There's a pause, and Hinata feels a bit of relief, finding comfort in the voice. His fingers twitch by his side, grasping the air.

"I'll be -chhhk- with you through this, okay? Ha, you better not -chhhhhk -stomachache again, hahahaha-chhhhk." Hinata's belly churns in response.

His eyes, large and the color of dirt, catch the telltale glow of the Above, and Hinata can feel his heart pounding. At last, after sixteen years of living underground, he can finally give back to his tribe. He is the chosen one, the one tasked with finding the Red Seed, the hope of the planet.

_'Finally a man.'_

And then he flies. The boy leaps, pushing his feet into the hard ground and springing up into the air, a whirlwind of sand tumbling after him like feathers. It sends a cloud of dust and pebbles into his face, but he doesn’t care. Hinata’s hands catch the edge of the cave, pulling himself up and into the luminous glow.

He sees the Earth.

There are craters all around, littering the ground like freckles, and large cracks rupture through the orange land. The sun is huge, bigger than Hinata could ever imagine, and brighter than a hundred candles flickering in the dark. Without wasting time to adjust to his surroundings, the boy hops back into action. He checks his oxygen tank and is alarmed when there's less than three quarters full. 

"Chhhhk- still there?" The boy brings the speaker to his face, hand gripping the gizmo in a trance.

"Yes! Listen, my-"

"Have you -chhhk- reached the Edge yet -chhhk?" Hinata pauses, bringing a hand to his face.

"Yeah, the sun is," he glances at the ball of light in the sky again, "really bright!"

"O-chhhhk-kay. Heh, I knew you'd like it. So remember, check the valleys and-chhhhhk. Chhhhk."

"Noya-san?" He's lost signal.

The boy feels his stomach drop, and he hits the walkie-talkie a couple times to no avail. It's as silent as a mouse. Hinata picks up his pace, swerving past the huge junctions in his way. He remembers the tribe’s familiar chant, that ‘ _east valley will bring the Red Seed home,’_ and just takes it from there. It’s an old tale, passed down many generations, and tells of a plant that somehow survived the barrage of asteroids centuries ago. That its seeds spread through the wind with the rise of the sun, dry and dormant, but packed full of the power to green the world once more. They send a youngster every year on the quest, and every year the tribe was one youngster less.

The ground suddenly cracks beneath him, and Hinata is jolted off the dirt, losing his balance and nearly falling between the teeth of the earth. Luckily, his reflexes are quick, and the boy just lands on stable ground, trying not to turn around and witness the gaping hole behind him. And then he hurls. The semisolid gunk dripping from his mouth smells sour and bubbles in the heat.

"Chhhhk- chhhk." 

"Ah, c'mon  _work._ "

"..."

"Fuck." Hinata stares hopefully at the contraption in his hand, shakes it a few times, but it doesn't make a peep after that.

The rays of the sun are jarring even with his whole body covered. He checks his oxygen tank again, and this time it's half empty. There's not much else to do, but continue. The worst-case scenario is that he’d be wandering for hours until he suffocates – Hinata puts a mental stop to this thought, fingers curling and balling into a fist. He’ll find the Red Seed, he’ll bring it back, and save the world.

It feels like hours before the boy finally finds shelter, an old abandoned warehouse with the roof caved in. Loose rubble dangle from the ceiling, just daring to pop a few skulls. He's sweating bullets now with no way of rehydrating himself, and he's got an hour tops before the tank runs out. And there are no valleys in sight. Hinata grits his teeth, hot white tears just threatening to fall. In the deepest, softest part of his heart he knew the whole quest was pointless. He just didn’t want to admit it.

_'I'm such a failure.'_

Suddenly, a rustle. The youth springs up, dusting the sand off his butt before peeking through a cloudy window.

There are  _people_  outside. People enveloped in strange, shiny suits not seen even in his dreams. At least they  _look_  like people. The humanoid shapes are standing upright, heads covered in helmets made of the same strange material. Hinata strains his ears, trying his best not to make a sound.

"It's still negative."

"You don't know that yet, Kageyama. Fling the tracer around more."

"No. There are no life forms on this planet. It's perfect."

"Well, the atmosphere  _is_  shot. God, I wish I was back on the ship. I bet Kiyoko-san misses ignoring me already!"

"..........We should be able to terraform such a small planet easily. And atmosphere rebuilding technology is expensive, Tanaka-san, not imposs-"

"You think we'd be heroes after this? Ahh, I guess that means I get to have fans now! O-of course Kiyoko-san will always be - h-hey, put that down private! No insubordination!"

Hinata watches as the two figures wrestle over a machine and disappear into the distance, before letting out all the stress, anxiety, and fear in a single breath. He's got to make it back to the tribe, to alert them of these aliens. That there’s no magical seed in his pockets, he’ll deal with that later. Hinata sneaks out the back entrance, making sure to smother his steps in the dirt. There's a fog in his head, and he realizes there's only a few minutes before the oxygen level dips past 20%.

When he finally makes it back to the damp and familiar darkness, the boy nearly collapses. 

"Shouyou-kun! Uwaa!" A small blonde thing clings to his side, her bottom lip quivering and cheeks damp. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!"

"Shouyou, you _idiot!"_

"My god, take him away, he's not breathing!" Hinata wants to warn them of the people above, but his eyelids suddenly feel heavy, and he blackens out into the murk. 

They tell him later that he was nearly asphyxiated, that another second trapped between that empty oxygen mask would have caused him permanent brain damage. Hinata is grateful that he is not a vegetable, and he shoots up from the mattress, body almost missing the soft embrace of the sheets.

"I need to speak to the chief! It's really important!"

"What's wrong?" A gentle looking young man rushes to Hinata's side, silver hair glistening in the dim candle glow. He's just a few years older than Hinata, but he already releases the soft aura of a nurturing parent.

"Suga-san, there's something up there."

The elder boy frowns, eyebrows furrowing like caterpillars. There are lines on his forehead, and his clenched fists sway by his side.

"Shouyou, I know that you’ve been wandering the wasteland for hours, and I’m so angry at myself that I didn’t think they’d choose _you_ of all people. I don’t know what Ukai-dono is thinking. You must be tired, my god you almost died-"

"I  _saw_  something. People. I saw  _people,_  Suga-san. Please believe me!"

"But there hasn't been anyone above in ages -" And he catches the fire in Hinata's eyes, burning wildly in determination. Suga sits down, trying to decrease the distance between the two. There's a smile on his face but it seems strained, cracking. He takes a deep breath, throws out an even deeper sigh.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Practically a whisper.

"Positive! They were wearing suits like _blauh!_ And they talked about terra-ro, terro-fum..."

"Terraforming?"

"Yeah, terraforming! They said that since there's no atmosphere, they're gonna put one up. And also that there's no life here, but that's not true 'cause  _we're_  here, aren't we?"

All the blood drains from Sugawara Koushi's face and he helps himself up, offering a hand to the younger boy to pull him to his feet as well. The candles on the walls flutter, their yellow glow warm but weakening all the while.

"I-I don't know. Lately, your father's been a bit... Anyway, I think it'll be safer to get a third opinion. Like maybe Noya?" A crash, and an energetic ball falls from the upper bunk, eyes red and nose full of snot.

"No, no. Absolutely not!" The short man blows his nose into his shirt, crossing his arms above his face in an x. His dark hair sticks up a good 10 cm in a menacing way, bright blonde streaks zipping through the middle. "Sorry Shouyou, but your dad's a fucking  _creep_."

"W-what do you mean, Noya-san?" Hinata feels the small embers of irritation spark in his stomach, even if the words are from his good friend and elder Nishinoya Yuu. So what if his dad hardly shows himself even as the chief?  So what if he's adopted? The elder Ukai had picked him up from the slums between Karasuno and Nekoma. He'd clothed him, fed him, raised him as his own.  Noya, sweet Noya, sticks a finger up.

"First, he sends his kid on a death quest. You’re shaking your head, but that’s what it was. All that walking and he gives you _one_ oxygen tank? One that’s broken by the way, it’s been leaking air as fast as you can say ‘banzai.’ And don’t get me started with the shitty communication. I mean, walkie-talkies? Seriously?” Noya takes a deep breath, sticking up a second finger.

“Second. He doesn't talk. Like  _ever_. Except with the old farts, but that's practically once in a blue moon."

"Blue moon? What's a -?"

"It's a saying for something that rarely happens," says Suga, glad to be of help.

"Oh."

"If anything, we should tell the younger Ukai-san. Isn't he the head of that super secret lab? Maybe he can make us some space guns and baaam! Bye bye aliens!"

"If even you know about it, then I doubt it's a secret."

"Suga, how could you smile while saying something so mean?"

"Anyway," the silver haired youth takes initiative," I think we should go to your father after all."

"Whaaat?" The two shorties shriek in harmony.

"You know, just to...meet with him? Does he even know you’re back, Shouyou?" Hinata returns the concerned stares of his closest friends, incisors dancing on his lips.

“I haven’t seen him since my year of sixteenth.”

“That…that’s three days ago, isn’t it? The same day as –“

“Shouyou’s quest letter,” breathes a frowning Noya. He growls, fingers tearing through his hair, when he finally waves a hand.

"Fine, go search for the old fart, but leave me out of it!" Noya stiffens, rolling his sleeves up. "That guy...I'll give him a present next time I see him."

After they convince the rascal that it'll just be a quick chat, and _no, put the club down Noya_ , Hinata and Suga set off. They pass through a string of corridors, twisting and turning corners like a snake, before reaching the conferance room. Large stone pillars hold in place the ceiling, chiseled with master handicraft. Hinata's father sits on a large chair in the middle of the room, head deep in conversation with a few council members.

The two youths stand by the entranceway, silent, fidgeting. Finally, they catch the eyes of the tribe leader and are motioned over. Hinata can't make out the sort of face the old man is wearing.

"Oh. Shouyou, you’re back?” A cough. "Have you succeeded?" Ah. There's a shadow on the boy now, climbing his ankles and spiraling up his torso all the way to his face, and he's choking, _suffocating,_ the dark wisps of smoke swallowing him whole -

"Y-yes! I mean no! There's -"

"Please excuse our rudeness tribe leader, but may we have a private audience with you soon?" Suga notices the pale of the younger boy's face and narrows his eyes, smile stretched.

"We can have it now, these gentlemen are just leaving." Which prompts one of them to snarl.

"We are not done and you know it, tribe leader. We need to address the state of affairs around here." A man with bleached blond hair stands up, pushing his seat backwards and nearly toppling it over.

"The Nekoma clan is on the verge of completing their space exploration technology, and it's only a matter of time before they stake Mars for themselves!" His palms slam on to the wooden slab of a table.

The room is suddenly buzzing, the low mumbles of the council members crescendoing in panic, when the chief shoots up like a rocket.

"Silence!" It's super effective. It's the first time Hinata has seen such a stern look on his father's face, and he trembles, a sour slime crawling up his throat. There's sweat on his brow and his hands feel clammy. His tongue dances in the cavern of his mouth.  _'Have you succeeded?'_

"If Nekoma wants to risk their lives colonizing Mars, then so be it. We at Karasuno will stay on this planet."

"But we have the resources and the manpower-"

"There will be _no_  buts!" Then, softer: "Keishin-kun, don't you remember our ancestors' promise? That we will look after this planet until our brethren return? That we'll use the Red Seed to bring green back into this world?" The mood in the hall is much calmer now, although Hinata still feels the last tremors of goosebumps on his skin. Suga seems to notice, and reaches for the younger boy's hand, giving it a tight squeeze, but it's unfelt by the other. ' _Have you succeeded?'_ He shakes his head, eyes reddening. _  
_

"We have a duty to live by. This is our fate, this is our planet. The council meeting is over."

"Tribe leader -"

_"Over."_

The younger Ukai seems to have more on his mind, but just growls, turning on his heel and out the door. The rest of the meeting's participants slowly filter out as well, faces dark and unreadable.  _'Have you succeeded -have you succeeded-have you-_

"So," The elder Ukai stares, eyes dry and unblinking, "what is it you boys wanted to tell me?"

"Shouyou, wait!"

Hinata bolts out the door.

_____

There really is nothing on the planet, and Kageyama Tobio breathes a sigh of relief. His boots dig into the squalid soil, toes gripping the empty space in anticipation. It's been ages since his people had set foot on a planet with so much potential, and it's even in the fabled Goldilocks' zone.

His superior, Tanaka Ryuu, is out scouting ahead the area they both dubbed as the Ravine, and probably wouldn't be back for another four hours. Kageyama doesn't mind the silence. 

His tracer picks up signs of water deep within the caverns underground. Well, that's a surprise. Water's worth its weight in gold around these parts. Kageyama checks the coordinates of this treasure, when the meter of the machine suddenly explodes.

"What the fuc-"

He doesn't get the chance to finish his sentence; a fierce gust suddenly crashes into the twenty year old, sending him flying towards an asteroid the size of a house. He feels the shock creep over his entire body, limbs crumbling like crackers and ears catching the beeps and warning bells of his life support suit. There isn't enough time to think, but the space private manages to override the automatic shut down system, giving him two hours at most. He tries not to gasp in the pain; he's got to conserve as much oxygen as he can.

The sun is right above him, bright and merciless. Kageyama closes his eyes, but he still makes out the orange and gold bleeding through his eyelids. With the communication system down, the man prays his corpse would at least be found. Chapped lips taste the familiar red of blood. He doesn't catch the small orange figure slowly creeping towards him, hand stretched out.

Kageyama sees the green of his garden, the smiles of all his classmates leading him home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Kageyama and Hinata meet, face to face (finally!)  
> Gosh, I'm sweating already!


End file.
